Dr Rita Sasidharan – Medical Oncologist

Medical Background:

Dr Rita Sasidharan is an Auckland-trained medical oncologist. She has been a consultant medical oncologist at Auckland City Hospital since 2006 and in private practice at Auckland Oncology, Epsom since 2011.

Rita treats patients with a range of different cancers. Her main clinical interests are breast and gastrointestinal cancers, and she is involved in national special interest groups for these types. She also completes oncology evaluations and reports for immigration purposes.

Rita has a strong scientific background and clinical focus. She also has a caring and empathetic nature, and patients and their families consider her a valuable companion on their cancer treatment journey.

Rita is an investigator in many clinical trials in breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and supportive care. She is also a member of several co-operative trial groups and professional societies.

Rita is the mother of two children and her hobbies include gardening, books, and movies.

From Rita:

“Working in oncology you become very closely associated with patients and their families, as you are essentially travelling with them through their cancer journey. Being able to make an impact on one’s life is truly rewarding and it’s why I love working in oncology. I can’t see myself working in any other profession. I also find the oncology field interesting and exciting because it is constantly evolving, meaning new therapies and treatments are always being discovered and developed to change people’s lives for the better.

At Auckland Oncology, we are very patient-centred and pride ourselves on continuity of care. This means we make our patients comfortable by having them see the same doctor and nurses every time, rather than being dealt with by different people. This means we are intricately involved in a patient’s journey and form a very close relationship with them, providing personalised care during a tough time.”